Cavs make moves as training camp opens Monday

Chris Beaven

Sunday

Sep 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMSep 30, 2007 at 2:37 PM

The Cavaliers signed free agent guard Devin Brown on Saturday and traded David Wesley for young forward Cedric Simmons. The moves come as two key players for the Cavaliers a year ago -- guard Sasha Pavlovic and forward Anderson Varejao -- remain unsigned.

A quiet offseason turned active for the Cavaliers as the start of training camp approaches.

The Cavaliers signed free agent guard Devin Brown on Saturday and traded David Wesley for young forward Cedric Simmons. The moves come as two key players for the Cavaliers a year ago -- guard Sasha Pavlovic and forward Anderson Varejao -- remain unsigned.

The Cavs open camp Monday.

Brown, 28, spent last season with the Hornets. He played in 58 games, starting 49, and averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists. All are career highs. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Brown can defend a variety of positions. He was a member of the Spurs NBA title team in 2005.

“His toughness and ability to play multiple positions on both ends of the court will complement our group well,” Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry said in a statement.

An unrestricted free agent entering his fifth year, Brown is the career scoring leader for both San Antonio high schoolers (2,763 points) and at Texas-San Antonio (1,922). He led the Roadrunners in scoring all four years.

An undrafted free agent, Brown won developmental league MVP honors in 2003 before playing for the Spurs, Nuggets, Jazz and Hornets.

Simmons, 21, was the 15th pick in the 2006 draft. He played in 43 games last year with four starts for New Orleans. The 6-9, 235-pounder averaged 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.4 minutes.

Wesley saw limited action last season with the Cavs, playing in just 35 games.

“Cedric is a young, talented player,” Ferry said. “We look forward to participating in his continued development here in Cleveland.”

Simmons entered the draft after two years at North Carolina State. He was second in the ACC with 80 blocks as a sophomore, averaging 11.8 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Pavlovic and Varejao are restricted free agents. Pavlovic’s agent, Marc Cornstein, told Sporting News on Sept. 21 that the Cavs and his client are “very far apart” on a new contract. Cornstein also did not rule out Pavlovic playing in Europe, saying “we certainly are exploring that option.”

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